Up the ladder;

by Madeline Leslie

"Dogged, are you!" shouted the other, springing forward, and giving the sailor a cuff across his face.

At this insult, Alfred bounded forward like a tiger, and endeavored to catch Mr. Bond by the throat; but the other was more than a match for him; and, before the wicked fellow had come to his senses, his arms were confined, he was dragged along to the hatch-way, and pushed down into the hold of the vessel. Here he was left to reflect upon the consequences of his conduct, the mate meanwhile nursing his wrath to keep it warm until the arrival of the captain.

The whole affair was then related to him in an exaggerated form, the personal attack upon his life having aggravated the rage of his officer to the last degree.

The captain, who had from the first taken a dislike to the boy, gave orders to have him remain in confinement until the ship sailed, and to be kept on water-gruel.

Through the remainder of the voyage, Alfred showed that he considered himself a much abused and injured lad. He was so surly and ill-natured that he was disliked by the crew; and, though his tedious confinement had led him to beware of offending the officers, yet his manners showed that it was only fear which restrained him from offering them every species of insult.

He went regularly to work, and formed a plan by which he might deceive the captain and mates with regard to his intention of returning with them. He took advantage of various opportunities to ask the mate how long the Dolphin would remain in Calcutta before she would return to America,—whether she would sail directly for home, or go by the way of England. And one day, after having tried, by strict attention to his duties, to propitiate favor, he inquired of the captain whether he might not ship on the return voyage as a sailor, confessing that he was heartily sick of a seafaring life, and wanted to earn enough to buy decent clothes and return home.

The captain encouraged him to learn all that he could from the helmsman, and notice particularly the seamen in their work of mending the rigging, with the hope of promotion if he did well.

But all this time the wicked boy did not for a moment intend to return with the Dolphin, or even to go another voyage in any vessel. He fancied if he could but once be on shore, he should be able to find some employment far more congenial to his tastes; or rather that, in some unexplained way, he should be able to live without working at all. These questions were only to serve as a blind, to ward off any suspicion that he wished to desert, which he resolved to do the first opportunity.

Ascertaining from some of the crew the length of time which the ship usually remained in port, he calculated his chances of success to be greater if he remained in her until near her time of sailing. He listened with apparent indifference, but with real interest, to the sailors as they recounted their various plans for the disposal of their time, plans, many of them too revolting to mention.

At length the cheerful sound, "Land ahead! land, ho!" was heard; and both officers and crew began to prepare for the end of their voyage. Though there was often a tedious delay, on account of the dangerous sand-banks, in proceeding up the river to Calcutta, in the present case they were so fortunate as to make a quick passage.